In 1949 the Bonnier publishing company and their popular Bonnier Folk Library series announced a competition to design a bookshelf, the embryo of String® was already beginning to form in Nisse Strinning’s mind. The competition rules stated that the new bookshelf should be affordable and easy to ship and assemble. Clearly the publishing company wanted something that would be suitable in most Swedish homes. The competition provided a creative incentive for Kajsa and Nisse. Before entering the contest, they fine-tuned their shelf to meet not only the jury’s standards, but also their own, which were even tougher. The String® shelf won, and became an instant success. In parallel, the Strinnings continued to develop the idea, and soon String® was a complete system with an array of functional elements and accessories. More than 70 years later, String® remains one of Sweden’s biggest selling and most loved designs, as well as being internationally acclaimed.

Following a period when String® was out of production, the Strinnings sold the manufacturing rights to newly started String Furniture. String® System was put in production again, and its development continued. Today the system consists of more pieces than ever. It can be configured to suit living rooms, kitchens or bathrooms, and is just as much at home in a student flat as a mansion. Colours and materials are based on a palette, updated yearly with new options, further increasing the number of configurations. We’ve recently added the possibility of using your String® System outdoors, all year round. Because the system’s measurements haven’t changed since 1949, older elements fit with brand new ones. All the possible combinations make it fun to play and try out different ideas. The secondhand market constantly seems to hunger for Strings of any age, colour or material.